The Trip
by belasgrl
Summary: Mr. Peabody and Joey go to Italy for Joey's birthday.
1. Chapter 1

"What would you like to do for your birthday, Josephine?"

Joey Peabody was sitting on the couch, drawing in her sketchbook, when Mr. Peabody asked her this. Joey put down her pencil. She hadn't thought about what she wanted to do for her fourteenth birthday; it seemed like it was so far away. She replied, "Um, I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it."

"I have an idea how to celebrate," Mr. Peabody said.

Not too long ago, Mr. Peabody had adopted Joey, and this was to be Joey's first birthday as his daughter, so of course, it would a very special occasion.

"I was thinking that maybe you and I could go to Italy the week of your birthday," the canine suggested.

The teenage girl looked at him, surprised. "Really?"

"Yes, it has so much culture. There are a lot of things to see and do there, and it would be a wonderful experience."

"I've always wondered what Italy was like. Do you really mean it?"

"Of course, but only if you want to go."

"I do! I do!" Joey exclaimed, happily, and she hugged her father.

"We have some time, so I'll teach you more about the country before we go. Now would also be a good time to learn more Italian, of course."

"I can't wait!" 


	2. Chapter 2

A couple of weeks before Mr. Peabody and Joey were to go on the trip, Mr. Peabody invited two of his friends, a man and a woman, over for dinner. Joey didn't mind when people visited since they were usually there to see her father and not herself, and she wasn't expected to be around the guests the whole time. She did always try to make an effort to interact with them, however.

The visit was a typical one. The guests sat in the living room while Mr. Peabody ran back and forth to and from the kitchen. Joey was amazed at how well he could always multitask. He could keep visitors entertained while also cooking. She didn't know how the canine did it.

Sometime before dinner was ready, conversation turned toward the couple's soon-to-be child, as the woman was pregnant. Joey became uncomfortable but tried not to show it. Sensing something was wrong, Mr. Peabody started to ask Joey to do something to get her away from the situation, but before he could, the woman insisted that Joey feel her stomach. Joey's face turned white, and she quietly refused and excused herself and went to her room.

Later on, Joey heard a knock at her door. When she found out it was Mr. Peabody, she told him to come inside the room. When he did, she heard him say, "Dinner is ready, Josephine, and Mrs. Johnson apologizes for her behavior."

"I'm not hungry."

Concerned, Mr. Peabody sat on her bed beside her. "I could tell something was wrong. What was it? You've been uneasy since they've come here."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Peabody," Joey said, trying to stifle a sniffle.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about, Josephine. Please tell me what's wrong."

"I'm sorry, I can't right now. Please, just tend to them. I'm tired."

"It's alright. I-"

"No, don't keep them waiting. We can talk later."

"All right, if you're sure," Mr. Peabody said, hesitantly.

Joey nodded. Then, Mr. Peabody left the room.

Hours later, Joey was awakened by another knock. She had fallen asleep on her bed, and Mr. Peabody's voice from outside the room startled her. She sat up and told him to come inside.

"The Johnsons are gone," he stated.

Joey looked away, ashamed, and she apologized.

"Josephine, what was wrong?"

"I...I don't know," she lied.

"You don't need to hide anything from me," said the canine, gently laying a paw on her arm. Joey knew that he could somehow always see right through her.

The teenager started crying. "I'm really sorry. I tried to be okay. I tried not to mess up. I ruined the whole visit!"

"You didn't."

"Yes, I did! I freaked out when she asked me to touch her stomach! I embarassed you!"

"You did nothing of the sort."

He held out his arms to comfort her, but she just stood up, quickly, and shouted, "I'm a freak! I don't want to have kids, okay?! Everything about pregnancy freaks me out! Even being around pregnant women! I tried not to show it, but..."

"Josephine-"

"Fine, tell me how much of a freak I am! Tell me how much you hate me for it! Tell me how I'll change my mind and that I'm overreacting, like everyone else has!"

"I had no idea you felt this way. Calm down, Josephine, please."

Joey sat on the bed beside him and cried while he held her. "Josephine, you're not a freak, and I certainly don't hate you. There's nothing wrong with not wanting to have children."

"Really?"

"Of course there isn't. There are a lot of people who choose not to, and if you don't want to, then that's your choice."

"But...the way I acted..."

"There is nothing wrong with what you did. You were very polite. I'm very proud of you."

Joey wasn't sure how to respond. "I thought you were going to be mad at me. Why aren't you mad at me?"

"Why would I be?"

His question echoed in her mind. She carefully thought out her response. "Because I'm...too different. I shouldn't be freaked out by pregnancy, and I should be okay with having kids someday. That's the way I should be, right?"

"Josephine, everyone is different, and what choices may work for some may not work for others. There is nothing wrong with you not wanting children, and there was nothing wrong with the way you handled the situation earlier."

"So, you still love me?"

"Of course! I will never stop loving you, no matter what. Now, would you like something to eat?"

Joey smiled for the first time that night. "Yeah."

"There is still some food left over that I can reheat for you."

"That sounds great!"

They both went into the kitchen and talked about various things, mostly about the trip to Italy they were going to take in only a couple of short weeks. Joey was able to forget about what happened earlier that day and focus on one of the biggest vacations she knew she was ever going to go on.


	3. Chapter 3

The day before they were to leave, Mr. Peabody and Joey checked multiple times to see if they had everything packed and ready to go, and even though she didn't sleep a wink that night, Joey was up bright and early the next morning, which surprised Mr. Peabody. They had a good breakfast before leaving the penthouse to go to the airport.

When they got to the airport, suddenly, reality set it. Up until that point, Joey had been excited about the trip, but when she realized that they were going to board a plane and actually leave home for a while, she became agitated. She realized that she had never been on a plane before and that she had no idea how it was going to feel leaving the ground and being thousands of feet in the air. What if they were going to get into a crash? What if she was going to get sick? Why hadn't she thought of all this sooner?

As they waited for their flight, Joey said, her voice shaking, "Mr. Peabody..."

Mr. Peabody grew alarmed when he saw how quickly her mood had changed. "What's the matter, Josephine?"

"I...I don't know if this is a good idea."

"If what is a good idea?"

"Leaving."

"Are you scared?"

Joey nodded.

Mr. Peabody hugged her and said, reassuringly, "Josephine, there's nothing to be afraid of. We'll be perfectly fine."

"I've never been on a plane before," Joey stated, her voice growing quieter. "What if something bad happens?"

"Don't worry about a thing, sweetheart. It can be a little nerve-wracking at first, but, I assure you, it's going to be alright."

"Promise?" she asked, as they got up to get on the plane.

"Yes, I promise."

The two got on the airplane and settled in. Joey was extremely nervous, but Mr. Peabody made sure that she knew he was right there the whole time. The worst part was when the plane first took off. Joey grabbed her father's arm, frightened, and looked away from the window. He did his best to comfort her, and when she saw that they were okay, she relaxed. Soon, she was even able to sleep, and she slept, a lot, since she hadn't done much the night before.

When she woke up, they only had an hour left before they were to land. She saw that Mr. Peabody had fallen asleep, and she looked out the window. It was a little scary and at the same time, mesmerizing to see the view.

Finally, they landed in Rome, Italy, and they immediately went to their hotel. Mr. Peabody said they could start sightseeing as soon as they dropped off all their things in the hotel. Their trip was now beginning. 


	4. Chapter 4

"First, we're going to the Vatican Museum," Mr. Peabody stated. "You'll love it, Josephine. The exhibits are simply breathtaking!"

Joey struggled to keep up with Mr. Peabody but didn't complain. He seemed even more excited than she was! They got on a bus and headed to the museum. When they got there, they went inside, and soon, they joined a group that was led by a tour guide. Joey started getting embarassed when Mr. Peabody corrected the tour guide a couple of times on some details and added many other facts about each piece. Once, she whispered, "Mr. Peabody!"

"What?"

"You're embarassing me!"

"How? I'm just providing more information and enlightening these people."

"Can't you do that later?"

"All right, but I won't hesitate to correct another mistake if one is made."

Joey groaned.

Halfway during the tour, Joey found something that she wanted to examine a little more, and she was slow to keep up. Reluctantly, she moved away from the piece of art, but when she did, she bumped into someone. Immediately, she became horrified and apologized. She noticed that the person had dropped a pad and a pencil, and she bent down to pick them up. The person whom she bumped into did the same, and they touched the objects at the same time. When they stood up straight, Joey saw the person.

Standing in front of her was a teenage boy. He was tall and thin. He had dark brown hair and green eyes and was dressed in a dark blue shirt and black pants. When their eyes locked, Joey couldn't look away, which was unusual, since with her Asperger's it was usually hard to look people straight in the eyes.

Soon, Joey snapped out of her dreamlike state and apologized again, feeling very badly for bumping into the guy. "Are you hurt?" she asked.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks."

"I should have watched where I was going. I shouldn't have gotten so distracted."

"It's okay. Don't worry about it."

Joey could have just gone on her way and continued on with the tour at that moment, but something about the boy fascinated her. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I'm Joey. It's nice to meet you. I'm from the United States."

"I'm Alessandro. I live here in Rome. It's nice to meet you, as well."

"I'm sorry for being so nosy, but are you taking notes?"

"No. I'm drawing. This piece is beautiful, and I wanted to see if I could draw it."

"I like to draw, as well. May I see?"

Alessandro turned away a little. "I'm...I'm not very good."

Joey became ashamed of herself for being so forward. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset."

The teenage boy quickly turned toward her and replied, "No, you didn't! It's just that I'm not done with the sketch yet. Maybe I can show it to you when I'm done."

"That would be great! Would you like my number? Perhaps we can talk and meet somewhere when you're finished, and I can show you some of my sketches, too...I mean, if you want to."

"Sure!"

The two exchanged numbers just before Mr. Peabody called after Joey to rejoin the tour. The two teenagers promised to talk later that day.


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the day was busy. After they finished the tour of the museum, Mr. Peabody and Joey went out to eat at a restaurant and ate authetic Italian food. They went sightseeing for a while after that. By the time they got back to the hotel, it was already dark.

Joey sat on the bed in her room and nervously looked at the phone while thousands of doubts and questions went through her mind. Would Alessandro be asleep when she called? Would she make him angry for calling him so late? What if she said something that would make him angry or upset? She almost decided not to call, but she remembered telling him that she would if he didn't first. So, taking a deep breath, she picked up the receiver and dialed the number he had given her.

She waited for a couple of minutes, then someone finally answered. It was a man. When Joey asked to speak to Alessandro, the man said, "Just a minute."

There was silence for a few seconds, then Joey heard a familiar voice ask, "Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Alessandro?"

"Yes."

"Hello. It's Joey. We met at the Vatican Museum earlier. I hope I'm not calling at a bad time."

"No, you're not. How are you?"

"I'm fine, just a little nervous," Joey replied, honestly. Her voice was a little shaky.

"Why?"

"I'm not very good at talking to people. I don't want to say anything that will offend you."

"Don't worry about that. I don't get mad that easily. What are you doing?"

"Just sitting in my hotel room. It's my first night here. My dad took me here for my birthday which is in a couple of days."

"That's good. There are a lot of tourists, and I can see why. This is a great city, and there's lots of stuff to do. I hope you enjoy it here."

"I already am. It's so much different than New York City."

"I've never been there, but I've heard a lot about it."

"It's amazing! In fact, I'm getting a little homesick already."

"Don't worry. I hope you'll forget about your homesickness for the most part while you're here."

"Me too. I was wondering..." Joey bit her bottom lip.

"What?"

"If...you'd like to meet up somewhere...We talked about showing each other our drawings...and..."

"Sure, where do you want to meet up?"

The two made plans to meet up the next morning after breakfast, and then they said goodbye.

After she hung up the phone, Joey noticed that her heart was racing. What was she doing? She had just made plans to meet up with someone she barely knew. She didn't have any friends who were male, and yet she hoped maybe she would make one, but what if he wouldn't like her at all? What if he wouldn't show up? Then there was the other thing: telling Mr. Peabody.

The next morning during breakfast, Joey boldly said, "I made plans to meet with someone."

Mr. Peabody held his fork in midair and asked, "Who?"

"It was someone I met at the museum. He's into art, and we talked a little bit last night on the phone. We didn't talk long, I promise, so the phone bill shouldn't be too high. Please don't be mad."

"I'm not angry, Josephine, although we did have plans."

"I'm sorry," she said, hanging her head.

"Now, I didn't say you couldn't meet this boy. What time were you two suppose to see him?"

"10:00. That's before we go to the Borghese Gallery."

"You'll be able to squeeze it in."

"Aren't you mad?"

"No, why would I be?"

"Well, it was unplanned."

"This trip is for you. We're here for your birthday. Besides, we put in enough time between each event just in case something unexpected came up. I would like to meet this young man, though."

"Sure. I don't think he'll mind."

Later, Joey and Mr. Peabody waited for Alessandro, who, almost to Joey's surprise, really showed up. "Sorry I'm late," he apologized, out of breath.

"No, you're not late," Joey assured him. She introduced him to Mr. Peabody and explained that he wanted to meet him. Alessandro was very polite toward him and didn't bat an eye when Joey said that Mr. Peabody was her father.

"I brought my sketchbook," Alessandro told Joey.

"I brought mine, too."

The two teenagers sat down and looked at each others' drawings.

"I don't know what you were talking about when you said you weren't a good artist," Joey stated, fascinated by how detailed his art was.

"I'm...just not used to people telling me that. It's more of a hobby than anything. I'm glad you think they are okay. Yours are really good, as well."

"They're more than okay; they're really good! I didn't draw this well before Mr. Peabody gave me lessons! They're amazing!"

Alessandro's face turned slightly red, and he thanked her.

Later, when it was time for Joey and her father to go, Mr. Peabody offered to pay for a bus fare for Alessandro's ride home, but the boy politely declined, stating that he didn't live far from where they were at.

On the way to their destination, Mr. Peabody complimented how polite Alessandro had been. Joey was happy that she had found someone from another country that had something in common with her. Now she could say that she knew a person from another part of the world. 


	6. Chapter 6

It was Joey's birthday at last, and she was determined to make it the best birthday she'd ever had. It already was, in a lot of ways. She had a family now and was celebrating the day in a place she never even dreamed she'd ever have gone. She woke up happy and cheerful, and she and Mr. Peabody went out for breakfast. Later, they went shopping, and Joey got some clothes and art supplies and sheet music.

After they were done, the two went to a restaurant, where Alessandro joined them. Joey had asked if he would help her celebrate by going to lunch with them, and although he refused at first, saying he didn't have enough money, both Joey and Mr. Peabody insisted that he come and that they'd pay for the meal. Eventually, he accepted the offer.

All three of them had a good time during lunch. Mostly, it was Joey who talked, which was a surprise since she normally was quiet. She went on and on about the trip and some things at home until Mr. Peabody gently stopped her and reminded her that Alessandro probably wanted to talk, as well. Alessandro said, "I don't really have much to talk about, sir. My life is not very fascinating."

"Well, tell us a little about yourself," Mr. Peabody said.

Alessandro was quiet as if he was thinking about what to say. Finally, he stated, "I've lived in Rome all my life, and I like art. That's pretty much it." And he continued eating.

They finished eating, and they parted ways. Mr. Peabody and Joey went back to the hotel, and Alessandro went back to his home.

That night, while Joey was asleep, the phone in her room rang. She sleepily answered it. It was Alessandro. He asked if he could meet her outside the hotel, and she said she would. Soon, they were out in the back by the pool.

"I'm sorry about this," he said.

"No, it's okay. What's wrong?" Joey asked, concerned.

"I...I just needed to get out of the house," he replied, "and I didn't have anywhere else to go."

"Is everything okay?"

Alessandro was silent.

"It's okay. I won't tell anyone."

"It's..."

"Yes?"

"...It's my father. He's...being a jerk tonight. I'm sorry to say it, but..."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know. You're the first person who's ever wanted to spend time with me, so this is all new. I've never had a friend before. We are friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah, Alessandro," affirmed Joey, "and you can tell me anything. I won't force you to talk, though, but if you want to talk, I'm here."

"I don't tell many people that I like to draw. My parents don't want me to draw."

"Why not?"

"They think I should become a soccer player, but I don't want to be one. They're always pushing me to play sports, but I like art."

"I'm sorry they do that to you. I kinda know how you feel."

"You do?"

"Yeah. When I was in foster care, I had some foster parents criticize me for not being social enough or not liking stuff that other girls my age like."

"Is Mr. Peabody your foster parent?"

"Not anymore. He adopted me not too long ago. He's different than any person that ever took care of me. He loves me and respects me and helps me a lot. He even saved my life."

"Wow, I wish I admired my father as much as you admire yours."

"Is my Italian okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm still learning Italian, and I was wondering, from your viewpoint, if I speak it well enough."

"You speak it wonderfully. Who taught you?"

"Mr. Peabody."

"Why don't you call him 'Father'?"

"He doesn't like being called that. I don't know why, but I don't care."

Alessandro sighed. "I'll be sad when you leave."

"Me, too," Joey said. "You've been a good friend. Maybe you can come visit me in the United States someday."

"Maybe," muttered Alessandro.

Before he left, Alessandro said, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Just...for this. I needed someone to talk to."

Joey smiled. "It's no problem. Take care."

Then, he left, and Joey went back to her room. 


	7. Chapter 7

After a week had passed, it was time for Joey and Mr. Peabody to go home. Joey had learned a lot and had met so many new people, and it was the best vacation she had ever taken. She had also had the best birthday ever. She was sad to go, but Mr. Peabody said that they would most likely visit again another year.

One of the last things Joey did before they left was see Alessandro, her new friend. Joey got emotional and started crying, and she hugged him. Alessandro was taken aback, but he hugged her. "We'll see each other again, someday, I hope," he tried to assure her.

Joey nodded. "We will. I know we will," she said, trying to compose herself.

When Mr. Peabody and Joey got on the plane to go home later that day, Mr. Peabody asked, "Well, Josephine, did you enjoy Italy?"

"I loved it, Mr. Peabody!" Joey replied, happily. "Thank you for taking me."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you had a good time."

A few weeks after they got home, Joey received a call from Alessandro. They talked about how life had been since the trip and chit-chatted until Alessandro said he was going to visit New York City. Joey almost squealed with excitement and said that she couldn't wait to see him and told him how much he'd love the city. He sounded excited, as well, and talked about the plans. She hoped Alessandro would like the United States as much as she had liked Italy. 


End file.
